Car-mover



(No Model.)

o. L. BARNHART.

- GAR MOY/1ER.

No. 396,190. Patented Jan. l5, 1889.

rrrr EYERS. Phewuxhngnpher. washington. D. C,

NITED STATES PATENT OEETCE.

lCLARENCE I.. BARNHART, OF FLINT, MICHIGAN.

CAR-MOVER.

SPECIFICATION forming` part of Letters Patent No. 396,190, dated January 15, 1889.

Application filed .Tune 15, 1888. Serial No. 277,233. (No model.) I

To all whom, t may concern.-

Beit known that I, CLARENCE L. BARNHART, a citizen of the United States, residing at Flint, in the county of Genesee and State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Car-Movers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to that class of devices which are operated by hand to move railway-cars abouta yard and elsewhere, and which are commonly designated car-movers.7

The object of the invention is to economize in the power necessary to utilize such devices.

The invention consists in a hollow sta provided with a rotary gripping device peculiarly constructed to engage the rails of a track and operable by chain or link gearing within the staff and a crank-handle outside, whereby the gripping' device is given a rotary motion on the rail, and thus propels the car, substantially as presently set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, in the several figures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure 1 is a side elevation showing my car-mover in situation for use. Fig. 2 is a plan looking at the bottom. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section. Fig. et is a bottom end view. Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-section of part of the gripping device, and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the same with one of the knife-edges removed. Figs. 7 and S are cross-sections taken, respectively, in the planes of lines oo and yy y of Fig. 2.

The letter a designates a tubular staff of suitable dimensions and strength. In one end is iitted a crotch, h, appropriately shaped to engage the end of a railway-car. As shown, this crotch is provided' with a forked and shouldered shank to enter the tubular staff and is secured therein by screws b b. In the other end of this staff, whose walls may be made iiat for this purpose, (see Figs. 2 and 7,) is arranged a sprocket-wheel, c. This sprocketwheel turns with its shaft d, and this shaft extends outside the staff and receives on squared journals the halves e e of the gripping device or gripper f, which halves are attached to the said shaft by nuts d or in other secure manner. Each part c has a hub, g, Which iits in an opening, 7L, in the staff, such openings in opposite sides of the staff (see iingers. As shown, the halves of the gripper v are made as rights and lefts and are dished so as to spread or flare out from each other, and thus more effectually wedge and bite upon the rail, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 4. The fingers of the gripper subserve an additional purpose in that they enable the mover to be used by running the gripper on the ground or a board instead of conlining its use to the rails of the track. By making the gripper in two parts it is much more economically manufactured, much more easily repaired, and much more easily got at for repairs than is the case with those structures heretofore designed where the gripper is solid and the staff is divided or forked to receive it. A second sprocket wheel, t', is fixed to turn with a squared shaft, j, which is supported in bearings in the staff a, and one end of this shaft j is provided with a crank-handle, k, whereby the shaft j and sprocket-wheel o' may be rotated. The shaft j or handle k may have a circular boss, k, to fit as a journal in an opening, k2, in the staff, and the other end of this shaft has a circular nib iiuding a bearing in the other side of the staff. The sprocket-wheels i and c are connected by a chain or link belt, Z, for transmitting the motion of the former to the latter, and thereby rotating the gripper.

Then the device is arranged as in Fig. l, by keeping the gripper hard on the rail and turning the crank the gripper will bite and advance upon the rail finger by finger, and so propel the car. One man can readily move a loaded car with one of my devices.

If desired, a handle may be placed on each end of shaft j, so as to permit two men to operate the device; but the gearing will suflice to enable one man to readily move a loaded car with the device constructed as shown.

The staff is hollow, so as to conceal the gearing and protect it from dust, the weather, and

ICO

other sources of injury; but it is within lny invention to employ a solid steli with the geen ing arranged thereon.

As indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 3, :t train of gears may be interposed het-Ween the shafts (l and j in order to augment the power.

Vhat I claim isl. A cnr-mover composed ol? e staff, a, nv crotch, l), in one end of such steli to engage ny car, a gripper, f, supported upon :t shaft which is borne by the other end of said staff, said gripper being' composed oi' dished halves l), provided with hubs to receive the shaft', and with ingers e', having' biting-edges e2 thereon, which hnlves are independentl)T und detzrch ably fixed to the sl1:rl:`t,:rnd gearing; for iinparting rotary motion to said gripper, suhstantially as and for the purpose described.

2. rotary gripper composed of dished lmlves e, provided with hubs g, and havingl the Vfingers e', with knives fastened thereon, combined with n hollow starrt having openings in its sides forming bearings for said hubs, :L shaft to which said halves are independently and detachably lixed, and operating-gewing `for imparting' rotary motion to said gripper, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set in v hund this 13th day of June, A. D. 1888.

CLARENCE l). BARNHAR'I. lVitnesses:

UHAs. 1l. JOHNSON, A, U. J'oHNsoN. 

